The Demon Lord and the Beautiful Human Girl
by BeautifulProdigy
Summary: Sesshomaru's love for Rin has always been platonic. But suddenly, when new feelings arise, what will the cold, stoic demon lord do? TWO-SHOT! T to be safe! Please Read!


**I'm a huge Inuyasha fan, but I haven't tried writing a fic for this before so… tell me what you think!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha.**

Sesshomaru sighed as he walked through the woods.

"Jaken," he said softly in his cold, emotionless voice, "You have Rin's kimono?"

The little toad imp practically tripped over his feet as he answered, "Oh, yes, Lord Sesshomaru! Rin's kimono is as clean and pretty as when you first entrusted it to me!"

The great demon lord nodded, "You are to give it to the old priestess, Kaede, while I go find Rin."

"Of course, Milord! Right away, Milord!" Jaken cried, setting off immediately towards the old woman's hut.

Sesshomaru continued walking through the woods. He would never admit it, but inside he was very excited to see his young, innocent ward once again. It had been more than a year since he had last seen her, and he had to admit, Rin was growing up to be very lovely. It wouldn't be long before she would be marrying.

He stopped short. Why did the thought of Rin marrying someone, create such… anger? Such agony? It's natural for a father to be sad at his daughter leaving, he told himself. But Sesshomaru didn't want to be viewed as a father figure by Rin. He wanted to be viewed as a… The demon lord quickly brushed off these thoughts. Ridiculous! She was only a mortal girl, for heaven's sake!

_But she is __**my**__ mortal girl_, he thought fondly. Wait, what?

Before he could ponder his strange thoughts any longer, he heard a musical voice call out, "LORD SESSHOMARU! YOU'RE HERE!"

Sesshomaru turned, and his lips turned up a tiny fraction of an inch as he saw the girl. And when he saw her face… his breath caught.

Since when had the little girl that used to follow him around become a woman? But there was no mistaking it. Rin's face was absolutely stunning. Sesshomaru had to force his eyes not to travel down any further than her chin. _She's your ward. Your __**ward**__._

"Rin," the dog demon nodded at the girl.

She stopped in front of him, breathing heavily as if she had run the entire way here.

"Hi, Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin said brightly, "It's been so long since I saw you. How's Master Jaken? Say, where is Master Jaken? And Ah-Un? Oh no! Did something happen to them? Are they alright? What if-"

"Rin," Sesshomaru cut her off, surprisingly gently.

The girl (woman?) blushed when she realized what she had been doing, "Sorry, Lord Sesshomaru!"

Rin led him through the woods, through the village, and to Kaede's hut.

_I should have just gone with Jaken, if we were going to end up here anyway,_ Sesshomaru thought ruefully. The inuyoukai would never admit it, but perhaps he had been hoping for a little alone time with Rin.

"Lady Kaede!" Rin called as they stepped into the old woman's hut, "Lord Sesshomaru's here!"

A young human girl maybe in her (very) early twenties came out popped her head inside. She was wearing the clothes of a priestess and had raven hair that fell to about mid-back.

"Hello, big brother!" Kagome chirped, "What a surprise!"

Sesshomaru shot her a glare. He didn't particularly enjoy being called _big brother_ by Inuyasha's irritating woman, when Inuyasha himself didn't do so. If his younger brother ever _did_ have the audacity to call him that… Well, Bakusaiga was sharpened and ready for use. But Sesshomaru had enough honor not to attack a woman. A woman who was a priestess, nonetheless.

Rin giggled, "Kagome, you know you shouldn't be running about."

The priestess waved her hand carelessly, "Rin, I've only _been_ pregnant for a few weeks."

So his brother was expecting a child, was he?

"Rin," Sesshomaru said, his voice as uncaring as ever, "I wish to speak with you," he shot a look at his brother's annoying mate, "_Alone_."

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin asked, once Kagome was gone.

"You are 18 now?" he inquired, his back turned to her

"Yes, my lord."

"Then," he replied, "You are old enough to make the decision."

"Decision?" she sounded confused.

"Whether you'd like to travel with Jaken, Ah-Un, and me," said Sesshomaru, refusing to look at her, "Or stay here in the village with your friends."

Silence. Sesshomaru could feel his heart pounding in his chest. What if she chose to stay? To stay at the village? To stay… away from him?

"That's easy!" Rin exclaimed, "I want to travel with you, Lord Sesshomaru!"

The inuyoukai felt a wave of relief. She wouldn't leave him alone just yet. What? _Leave him alone just yet?_ Sesshomaru glanced at the beautiful human woman in front of him.

"I will be back for you by sunset," the demon said, "Be ready to leave by then."

And he ran. Away. Away from his ward. Away from the confusing feelings she was stirring up inside of him.

Sesshomaru stopped about halfway through the woods. He stood, the run taking barely anything out of him. Now it was time to think. Why _in the world_ was he having these thoughts about his ward?

_I mean,_ he thought ruefully, _It's not like I'm in love with her or anything._

Sesshomaru stopped short, _What? No! This Sesshomaru refuses to follow the same path as my father!_

But the inuyoukai knew, and had known for a while, that it was too late. He had followed Inu No Taisho's path a long time ago.

It was about time he admitted it. To himself, at least.

"Inuyasha," Sesshomaru called to his brother, who was up in a tree picking herbs for Kagome.

The white-haired hanyou abruptly fell off the branch.

"_What the hell_?!" Inuyasha rounded furiously on Sesshomaru, baring his fangs, "What are _you_ doing here, you teme?!"

Sesshomaru glared at his half-brother, and feeling quite as if he were dying, he choked out the words, "This Sesshomaru requires your help."

Inuyasha stopped short, and then burst out laughing, "NO WAY! You've _got _to be joking. There's no way Sesshomaru, proud pureblood demon, just asked for _my_ (mine, of all people!) help!"

"I do not joke," Sesshomaru growled, "I need to ask you something."

The half-demon nodded, wiping a tear from his eye, "Go on."

"What…" he hesitated, "What is… _love_?"

His younger brother's eyes widened, "Er, Sesshomaru? Ya sure you're feelin' okay? Since when do you care 'bout _love_? I thought emotions made you weak?"

"Just answer the question, baka!"

Inuyasha raised a perfectly groomed brow. Sesshomaru never lost his cool.

"Well," he started slowly, "Love is when… when you would do anything for someone. Even go to hell and back."

_I went to hell for Rin_, Sesshomaru thought.

"Love is when you would lift the Earth with your own two hands, just to make them happy. Love is when you give up, you… you _feel_ for the first time. Love is what I feel for Kagome, and," Inuyasha glanced at his older brother, working up the nerve to continue, "Love is what _you_ feel for Rin."

Sesshomaru's eyes widened, and for a moment, his composure slipped. His jaw fell open and his cheeks turned red. He had blushed!

"How… how did you guess?" he stammered. Stammered!

"Well," Inuyasha scoffed, "First of all, I'm insanely smart. Second, what other woman would even _come near_ a socially constipated jerk like you?"

Moments later, Inuyasha was rubbing the large red bump on his head, staring after the spot where his older brother had just left.

"The world's gotten really messed up," he murmured grumpily, scooping up the herbs he had picked and heading back to his mate.


End file.
